Unspoken: Words of Love
by DarkRose Dilettante
Summary: Neither of them ever said anything. Even though both of them felt it - a strange, restless, inexplicable stirring in their hearts. What remains unspoken between Shinku and Jun is what they have the most to speak of.
1. Tea

**Hello all! I just decided that this site needs more Shinku x Jun. There's not enough of this couple around the place - and they're supposed to the be the canon pairing of the entire series. =.='**

**By the way, this is all based mostly on the anime rather than the manga, and I wanted it to be a collection of stories centred around Shinku and Jun. Whether I actually get around to updating depends upon reviews. So give me feedback, people, if you want more. XD**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rozen Maiden nor any of its characters. Peach-Pit does.**

**So without any further ado, let us continue...**

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_**Tea**_

Jun makes terrible tea.

Shinku, being a seasoned connoisseur of the beverage, knows this perfectly well as she sips her cup quietly on his bed; the temperature is all wrong and the taste is awfully bland. And yet, regardless of Jun's atrocious skills, regardless of the fact that she herself could make tea of unsurpassed taste and perfection, she would not rather drink tea brewed by anyone else.

The fact that, despite his grumblings and complaints when she asked, he stood up, walked down to the kitchen and brewed tea just for her is enough to touch Shinku's heart, though she hides it well.

The fact that he did it _for_ _her_…

Perhaps, it is because Shinku believes that the tea Jun makes has very sweet flavour, one that can't be tasted by the tongue, but rather, by the heart.

It is a sweetness that is gentle, kind and compassionate, that strikes a chord inside her. She can taste the effort he put into making this tea for her.

And there is something more – a deeper undertone, barely perceptible underneath everything else, but definitely there. It is a strange but exceedingly pleasant flavour; warm, fragrant and mellow, a very tender, very soft sensation that Shinku feels. She does not even understand it herself, and so can only say that it makes her feel lighter and happier than she has ever felt before in her life. Shinku's incredibly sensitive sense of taste, stemming from the tenderness with which she drinks and appreciates tea with her heart, is able to detect every essence, every emotion and every feeling that has been poured into its contents. It could be said that she can taste the heart of the tea itself. But even she has never experienced anything like the subtle, delicate tones of Jun's tea.

It is indescribable in words to Shinku, at least. But if another were to take a sip of that tea and be made aware of the marvellous sensations hidden behind its bland taste, then perhaps it might be said that the tea had a very _loving_ flavour.

Of course, that is something Shinku would never admit openly, even if she did realise it for herself one day.

"Jun. This tea is terrible. Make me another cup."

"Make it yourse – _ow_!"

Jun earns a terrific slap from Shinku's curls and shoots her an irritated glare, one hand pressed against his sore and reddened cheek. Grumbling, he trudges grudgingly down to the kitchen.

He doesn't even realise that in spite of her admonitions about his dreadful tea, Shinku has drained the entire cup empty, not even a single drop left.

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**So constructive criticism is appreciated. Flames are not. If you want this continued, then please review. Thank you for reading! :D**


	2. Rain

**Hello again! Ok, I should have uploaded this yesterday but I freaked out at the last moment because I was really unsure of this chapter... and I only finally plucked up the courage to upload today instead. So sorry for the wait!! ^.^" But yeah, I think I was being a bit pedantic.  
****Special thanks to RozErika and sparky-sugarqueen for reviewing! I love you guys for giving me motivation to write more (since I'm naturally lazy heheh) ^_^  
****Anyhow, here's number 2, and I hope you enjoy it! Please review and tell me how I went! :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Rozen Maiden or any of its characters, Peach Pit does. And if I did, the third season of the anime would be out by now. =.=" **

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**_Rain_**

It is one of those few times of peace in the usually chaotic Sakurada household. Jun lounges around, not really paying attention to the television, as rain patters quietly outside on the window. The skies beyond the glass are overcast and muddy with clouds. It is tranquil in a strange, eerie, almost ethereal way, but there is one thing troubling him the most at the moment.

He hasn't seen her all day.

Her suitcase, sitting on the floor of his room, has remained locked firmly shut all day.

He just _knows_ something is wrong. Sighing, he switches the TV off and trudges upstairs, deciding he would rather face an eternity of her reprimanding lectures than this awful, unbearable silence. Upon reaching the threshold of his room, he stops.

She's right there.

Shinku stands unmoving on his bed, her back to him, one hand resting lightly on the sill. The window, broken from Suiseiseki's morning entrance _(damn that wicked doll!)_, lets the rain blow through into the room, soaking everything. Jun is caught off guard by the unexpected sight of Shinku, uncharacteristically dripping wet and not even trying to move out of the way, but is yet more shocked when she turns around and he realises the water running down her cheeks isn't just rain.

The fifth doll of the Rozen Maiden is crying.

She looks at him in a way as if she doesn't expect him to understand, but he believes he does, even if only a little.

After all, he's seen it for himself; those times when she wakes suddenly in the middle of the night, pale and sweating. He knows how she dreams of blue flames engulfing her world in darkness. He wonders to himself when she asks him with that uncertain, almost insecure tone he rarely ever hears from her, if he thinks she's a good sister.

Jun does not consider himself to be a particularly shrewd or observant person, but he knows Shinku well enough to realise she is breaking down inside. And he cares enough about her to want to see her smile again. Seeing this; her tears mingling with the raindrops on her cheeks, Jun feels his world come to a stop; he can't move or breathe.

He remembers every other time he's seen her cry – the endless stream flooding down her stricken face, as she clutches the gaping tear where her arm used to be, that aching pang in his chest, when she cradles a broken doll, weeping for its lost soul…

Because, like the rain falling through his window onto his head, Shinku's tears fall like a rain upon his heart. But this rain does not merely soak through his clothes and skin; it makes his blood run cold, seeps through the crevices of his soul, and touches some part of him deep within the core of his being. He can't help but feel pained when he realises he can't prevent her suffering. He can't bring back the dead. He can't change the past. He can't erase the grief, the shock or the loss.

But there is one thing he can do.

Wordlessly, Jun reaches out, enfolding the blonde doll in a gentle and tender embrace, pulling her close to his chest. She doesn't complain, nor does she try to resist as she falls softly into his arms. Neither of them has any need to say anything; Jun only wonders at how, despite their size difference, Shinku fits perfectly into the shape of his arms. As if she were made for them.

The one thing he can do for her is to let her know she's not alone.

_I promised, as your medium…I swore on the ring, didn't I…I'll protect you…and I won't leave you to face this by yourself. _

The least he can do is reach out and touch her.

_Whatever hurts you…whatever causes you pain…I'll take it away with my own hands…because…you're very important to me…_

They stand there, caught in this quiet, rare and infinitely exquisite moment shares between them…

There is a sudden whooshing sound as her hair whips up and smacks the side of his face. He jumps back with a stinging reddened cheek, relinquishing his hold on her.

"What the hell was that for?!!"

"I refuse to be handled in such a casual manner."

"I was _comforting_ you, you vicious doll!"

Shinku ignores him, stepping off the bed. Despite himself, Jun feels his considerably heartened when he sees her tears have disappeared.

"Hey! Aren't you going to fix the window?"

"Why? It's stopped raining, hasn't it?"

Jun looks outside and notices the sliver of golden light breaking through the dispersing clouds. But when he turns around to yell at her some more, she gives him that small, rare, wonderful smile of hers which distracts him completely.

"You - " She interrupts him, before he can say anything.

"Thank you, Jun."

***

He's always thought of rain as a cold, dreary and miserable thing. Only now does he realise how astonishingly its water washes away the veils of gathered dust to reveal the otherwise unseen, exquisite inner splendour of even the most commonplace of objects. It is, therefore, even more surprising to him to see how the rain of his doll's tears can wash away the surface of the façade he's built around himself, to expose the true nature of the beautiful, delicate emotions towards her contained within his heart.

And then, after all, if Shinku's tears were the rain upon Jun's heart, her smile must be the sun that shines through long after the clouds have gone.

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**Thanks for reading! I await your reviews :D**


	3. Marriage

**Hi everyone~! I finally got around to updating, yay! **

**Since my first two stories were a bit serious I decided to write a more lighthearted one this time. Hoep you like it, though I think it turned out a little weird since I wrote it randomly in the middle of the night. So yeah. But I had fun writing it, at least. So I hoep you have fun reading it too.**

**Thanks to my two awesome reviewers, you guys are the ones keeping me out of a lazy slump! ^.^**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rozen Maiden or any of it's characters, Peach Pit does. If I did, there would be a third anime season.**

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**_Marriage_**

The question hits him out of the blue, like a slap in the face. Not quite believing what has come out of the innocent sixth Rozen Maiden doll's mouth, he swivels around in his computer chair to face her.

"_What_ did you just say?"

Looking like a perfectly innocent cherub angel, Hinaichigo repeats her query.

"Are you and Shinku married?"

Jun's face turns redder than a blushing beetroot.

"_HELL NO!_ _WHERE DID YOU GET THAT IDEA FROM??!!"_

"Unyuu…Suiseiseki said…" He rolls his eyes, sighing. Of _course_ it would be that damn wicked doll corrupting everyone's minds…

"What exactly did she say?"

"She said, Jun and Shinku argue like an old married couple!"

"That evil doll…"

"Uuu, Jun, what does married mean?"

"Er…" Momentarily forgetting his anger directed at Suiseiseki in order to confront the rather awkward question being presented to him, Jun stares down at Hina with obvious discomfort, wondering how best to explain this concept.

"Umm…well…getting married is when you fall in love with someone and you ask them to marry you, and then you have a wedding where give each other rings and promise to protect them and spend the rest of your life with them and even have children together."

Hinaichigo's eyes widen with this sudden influx of information. Jun can practically see the gears spinning furiously in her head as she tries to digest what he has just told her.

"Unyuu…then that does mean you and Shinku are married!"

"_WHAT - DIDN'T I JUST SAY SHINKU AND I ARE NOT –_"

"Really, such noisy servants." Jun stops abruptly unable to think of moment that could possibly be worse than now for Shinku to walk into his room. The blonde doll walks over and sits on Jun's bed, burying her nose into a large book. Jun leans down and lowers his voice to a hiss, praying that she won't hear.

"Shinku and I are _not married!_"

Unfortunately, discretion is not one of Hinaichigo's virtues, and she responds in a manner of volume that makes Jun wince.

"But…you have rings…"

"Yeah…" Jun unconsciously touches the medium's ring on his finger and looks over nervously at Shinku, who is apparently choosing, (thank the stars), to ignore their conversation.

"And…didn't you promise to protect her forever?"

"Yes…"

"And you promised to stay with her forever?"

"Umm…I guess…"

Jun finds himself growing more and more scarlet with embarrassment with every question Hinaichigo directs at him.

"But…it's not just that…you're supposed to marry the person you love…"

A look of confusion bordering on concern crosses Hinaichigo's face.

"Unyuu…don't you love Shinku?"

Jun's face feels like a molten rock. He doesn't want to lie, but…

"I…"

"Then you hate her?"

"N-No!" Hina's inexplicable logic that if you don't love someone, you must hate them, and if you don't hate them, then you love them, agitates Jun to the extreme.

"So you do love her!"

"I…er...well…yes, I do." Deciding just to let it out, Jun doesn't even dare steal a glance at Shinku sitting on his bed.

"It's just…different to when you want to marry someone…"

"Unyuu…I don't get it…you have rings, you promised to protect Shinku forever, and you said you love Shinku… that's what it means to get married!"

"Ummm…"

"Would you _like_ being married to Shinku, nano?"

"W-What kind of a question is that?"

"Just because you're not married, doesn't mean you don't want to be!"

Jun really hates lying. But the truth is so hard for him to come to terms with, he can't stand it any longer.

"F-fine, yes I would!"

Jun wonders if perhaps the best thing to do is agree with everything Hina comes up with just to make her stop asking saying such mortifying things. Fortunately, Shinku, with her impeccable timing, intercedes and saves him from further embarrassment.

"Hinaichigo. Jun is, if you will recall, nothing but my mere servant. Stop asking silly questions and bring me some tea, please."

Hinaichigo shoots Jun another confused glance as she runs downstairs. He stares across the room at Shinku, and whilst her voice is carefully controlled and expressionless, he swears he can see a hint of a blush on the part of her face peeking out over the book she holds. He turns back to his computer, thoroughly relieved to be freed from his interrogation.

A few minutes later, he hears the quiet thud of the book closing and senses Shinku approach and stand beside him.

"Jun."

"Y-yeah…"

"What you said before…did you…really mean it?"

Jun feels the temperature of his face exceed the blaze of the sun.

"Ahhh…what did I say?"

"You said…" Shinku hesitates, and Jun realises with astonishment that she's just as embarrassed as he is.

"Ummm…" He hates lying, because he knows, even though he doesn't want to admit it, that he did really mean it when he said that he loved her. And, even though he's afraid of thinking such things, he believes in his own feelings, deeply, thoroughly, sincerely.

He wants to tell her that it is nothing, that what he said is meaningless and spoken only because he wanted Hina to go away, but he can't because he knows that's not true.

That, and because of the certain tone in Shinku's voice, that makes his heart beat like he's about die.

"Y-yes. I mean...you are…really very important…to me…" Jun find the courage to raise his eyes to Shinku's and finds himself captivated by her mesmerising blue eyes. They remain caught in each other's gazes for a few moments, words hanging heavily, unspoken, in the air between them. Suddenly, Shinku smiles, breaking the magic of the moment as she turns away.

"That…is good…" He marvels at how he always feels as if he is flying when he hears the contentment and _happiness _that laces her voice. It is an uplifting emotion that makes him think it really wouldn't be a bad thing at all, if he ever did marry her…

And he knows he will wait forever, if he has to, for whatever it is he wants from her, even if he's not sure exactly _what_.

At that moment, Hina runs back in, the tray of tea she carries sloshing everywhere.

"Unyuu! I made the tea!"

"Hand it here, please."

"I'll have some, too."

Hinaichigo stares at Shinku intently for a few moments before a sudden look of revelation passes across her face. Her head snaps up to gaze sharply at Jun; eyes widened as if a great realization has dawned upon her.

"Wait, if you marry Shinku, then doesn't that mean you want to have babies together?"

Jun practically drops his cup in utter shock, simultaneously marvelling at how this simple statement from Hinaichigo is enough to make Shinku cough and choke on her tea.

And the two of them, voices joined in a cry, with faces as red as Shinku's crimson dress, yell:

"WE ARE _NOT_ MARRIED!"

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**Thanks for reading! :D Now go press that review button!**


	4. Puppet

**Hello! Sorry, it's been a little while since my last update ut since it's the Easter holidays here I should be able to update more often. Thanks to all my reviewers so far, you've all been really nice and I love all of you very much 3 **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Rozen Maiden or any of its characters etc. **

**Enjoy! I'll try update soon. :)**

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_** Puppet**_

"What happened...exactly?"

For some reason, Jun believes that the carefully controlled calmness of Shinku's voice is even more terrifying than if she were shouting at him. He cowers against the corner of the wall as the temperature of the room drops to that of liquid nitrogen. Shinku's head is slightly bowed; her blond bangs fall over and cover her eyes, making to read the possibly frightening expression on her face.

"Jun?"

She holds up the ragged fabric in her hands.

"What...happened...to Kunkun?"

All that remains of the sad puppet is a light brown, tattered cloth, a few clumps of fluffy white stuffing and the mangled, barely recognisable features of the Detective Kunkun puppet Shinku is so fond of.

Well, the puppet she _was_ so fond of.

Jun clears his throat uncomfortably.

"Um...I know this is probably really hard for you...but...Hina took him out for walk...and...et's just say he had nasty meeting with a cat."

Shinku tenses.

"So...the cats got him..."

"I tried to get him back for you, but I couldn't get him back in one piece."

Shinku doesn't reply.

"I tried fixing him..." Jun offers. Shinku turns her head slightly.

It is true, though. Jun had tried very hard to put the poor puppet back together. He stitched and threaded desperately, despite how much he fumbled clumsily with the needle and thread in his injured hands. He had been scratched on the cheek by the very same cat whilst trying to pull the puppet out of its claws, and there was a large, deep gash across his knuckles that made it painful for him to even move his fingers.

"Jun..." Shinku looks up, and Jun almost can't believe the tears in her eyes.

_Is she really that...I always thought..._

Jun has always found Shinku's fanatical obsession with Kunkun amusing, if rather strange. But he has, up until now, taken it as a joke. Never has he thought that it is as serious as this; that she really loves Kunkun this much, that his destruction is enough to bring about her tears...

It's enough to make _him_ hate Kunkun, anything that hurts Shinku, makes her cry...He hates that Shinku loves Kunkun and he hates that she's crying for him. Perhaps, he is even a little bitter.

_Would she cry for me?_

Perhaps, it can be said, Jun is a little jealous of Detective Kunkun.

Which is all absolutely _absurd_.

_Why the hell am I getting all worked up about this??!! It's just a puppet, for god's sake..._

"Shinku, I'm sorry I couldn't –" Jun freezes as Shinku reaches up and lightly touches the graze on his cheek.

"Jun..." she says quietly, letting the sad remains of the dismembered puppet fall out of her hands onto the floor.

"Are you alright?"

Jun stares at the doll, completely speechless.

"I –"

Her eyes are very soft and very tender. It's a tenderness that he only rarely catches glimpses of behind her proud façade, and it makes his heart flutter like a dancing butterfly.

"I'm fine..."

Shinku closes her eyes, and two tears run down her cheek. But she smiles. A small, sweet, wonderful smile, like sunshine.

"Thank goodness..."

"Shinku..." Jun doesn't quite know what to say. It seems she never fails to surprise him.

"What about Kunkun?"

"What about him?" Shinku's still smiling a little sadly, but her hand has not left its place on Jun's cheek. Her other hand moves toward Jun's injured knuckles. Gently, she runs her little fingers along the angry red slash.

And then Jun realises it.

Those tears are for him. She's crying for him.

_Crying for...me?_

She holds _his_ hand in hers. She's holding _his_ face. She's looking at _him_. Not Kunkun. Not Kunkun at all.

How do you compare a puppet and a boy? A puppet is merely a piece of fabric stretched over a clump of stuffing. Kunkun is nothing but cloth and cotton, who lends its life from a person. Jun is a real human, of blood and bone and flesh. Kunkun is as fleeting and delicate; he can be torn or broken or lost anytime, anyplace, anywhere. Jun lives and breathes and moves on his own. He is entirely and wholly, himself, unlike Kunkun, who can only ever be the same as the person manipulating him. Kunkun is not Kunkun, he is but merely an idea; an illusion of a character created in the imagination. But Jun is Jun, no matter what. And he won't disappear or get lost or shredded to bits like a piece of fabric. He is real and true.

And the fact that she would not easily lose Jun only makes it harder for her to bear if he really was gone.

Even if she doesn't have Kunkun anymore, she wants to be always certain she had Jun. Perhaps Shinku has never really loved Kunkun. Hina said once, "Kunkun isn't Kunkun if Jun doesn't do it." So maybe, Shinku has only ever loved Jun. Perhaps when she used to tell Kunkun she loved him, she was really speaking to Jun.

Shinku knows, Kunkun can't last forever. She can lose him as easily as a small child loses a toy.

But Jun is as steady and staunch as a rock, unmoving, always there. She won't ever lose him the way she has lost Kunkun.

_That's right, Detective Kunkun is just a puppet on a television show. He isn't real, nor will he ever be. But Jun, Jun is real. I can reach out to touch him, and he will feel it. Isn't that something Kunkun would never be able to do...?_

Shinku wipes the streaks of moisture off her cheeks and straightens herself. Jun is still staring at her in shock, his cheeks bright red.  
"A-are you alright?"

"I hate cats. Promise me you will never even look at another one of those barbaric creatures."

"Erm...okay..."

"Well, I suppose nothing can be done about it..." Shinku has reverted back to her normal, brisk tone.

Jun nods mutely.

"But I see one thing_ can_ be done here. _HINAICHIGO_!!!"

He hears the terrified cries of Hina calling for his help, somewhere above him as the blonde doll marches upstairs.

"_JUUUUUNNNN_!!!"

He sighs, wondering how he could possibly protect Hina from an enraged Shinku this time.

"I'm coming..."

Jun is essential; he sustains her life, her existence. She can't even think about how much worse it would be if he was gone. Shinku may cry when she loses Kunkun...

But she would die if she ever lost Jun.

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**Now press review! XD Thanks for reading!!**


	5. Heart

__

**Hello! Just to let you know, my brain probably exploded halfway through writing this because it was just really difficult to get this idea down in the right words. So yeah...if you can survive it...^.^'**

**Thanks to all my reviewers, I love you guys!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Rozen Maiden or any of its characters etc. **

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_**Heart**_

What does it mean to be human?

Shinku ponders to herself as she sits by the window on Jun's bed, quietly sipping her tea. Jun is a human. He smiles when he's happy and cries when he's sad. He can feel pain, fear and joy. But most importantly, he has a heart. A heart that beats in his chest, pumping blood and oxygen around his body, allowing him to survive. Shinku, however, is kept alive only through the mysterious powers of her Rosa Mystica.

Shinku doesn't have a heart, but that doesn't make her heartless.

The mere physical is not enough to describe something as complex and intricate as the nature of life. If a heart defines the human, then what defines the heart?

She doesn't believe it is the organ that pumps blood around the body, which characterises humanity. Rather, she believes it is the heart that exists in essence only; the heart which keeps the soul alive, that defines life. And the one thing that defines that heart is the ability to love.

So if Shinku can experience feelings of love, then it is only logical to say that she does indeed, have a heart.

And then, she wonders, what is the difference between her heart and a human's? What is the difference between her and Jun?

_What is the difference between a doll's heart and a human's heart? Aren't we all the same? Aren't we all able to feel the same way? Don't we all experience fear and joy, love and hate?_

_Does it really matter, eventually, for something like this?_

What difference does it make, if she is a doll and Jun is a human? All that matters is the feelings they share between them. Feelings which, in a way, defines their existences more than their physical bodies. The true heart goes beyond the mere physical. There is no way whatsoever, in which the physical world is sufficient to bear any significance with what Shinku and Jun feel for each other.

There is no room for differences because everything comes down to love. Love is the base; the beginning. There is no 'human' and 'doll'; only two hearts that have found their place in each other.

In the end…it doesn't really matter what she is, human or doll. Because love transcends it all.

It is so incredibly complicated, yet absurdly simple, and is giving Shinku the biggest headache she's had in centuries.

She doesn't realise until later, with a hot blush springing to her cheeks as she wonders with some embarrassment...

...since when did she admit it to herself that she loves Jun?

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**Well...I know I had a heart attack halfway through writing this, it was so hard to express this idea in words...+.+'**

**Hope you liked it anyway, thanks for reading and now review! XD**


	6. Warmth

**Hi! Sorry it's been a while but I've gotten lazy and slacked off a bit...so yeah...^.^" hope this makes up for it a bit...I'll try and update faster.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rozen Maiden or any of its characters...**

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_**Warmth**_

It is funny how a single small, fleeting moment such as this can hold such a great significance to her. It is also sad, in a way, though, that she won't fully realise it herself until much later, when the time has passed. She is too caught up in the moment now to be able to understand the sensations and emotions she is experiencing. Her thoughts are still unclear, her mind in disarray and her feelings doubtful and uncertain. It is truly baffling how something as inconsequential as this can mean so much to her.

The warmth of Jun's back.

Shinku doesn't know why or how she ended up leaning on Jun's back whilst they both sat reading on his bed in the first place. Nor does she quite comprehend the strangely light, buoyant feeling in her chest at the feeling of their bodies in contact with one another.

But one thing she does know, and that is the wonderful warmth that is emanating from Jun.

To a Rozen Maiden doll, a warm feeling is one that is treasured above all else. It is the only remaining memory they have left of their beloved Father. Coldness to any doll is unbearable. It is the feeling of loneliness, the fear of going to sleep and never waking up again, of never being wound, never being wanted, never being loved…that is what all dolls dread the most.

Jun's warmth speaks of a kindness, a tenderness and a gentleness that allows Shinku to feel safe, protected and above all else, _happy_.

It strikes her, suddenly, how Jun makes her feel almost exactly the same ay Rozen did, perhaps, dare she say, to an even greater degree.

He makes her feel loved.

His warmth permeates her skin and spreads through her body, warming her heart, filling her and completing her. It melts away that cold fear of being alone and unloved, and let's her know for certain, she is _wanted_.

But Jun's warmth is as real and true as the flesh and blood in his body. Rozen, however…he has become nothing but distant memories she can only grasp at in her dreams.

Does that mean, too, that Jun's love is more real than Rozen's?

Certainly, Shinku knows, she can reach out at anytime and be able to touch Jun as she is doing now, but she will have to chase forever after Father, who has all but faded into fleeting fragments of broken dreams and lost memories. Rozen's warmth has become something she can only imagine from the transient, scattered visions in her mind. He has become as distant and unreachable as the stars to her.

But Jun is here by her side at this very moment. She need only move in close, and his warmth will fill the emptiness in her heart. The same cold emptiness that Rozen created when he left her can be filled now, by Jun, of all people.

It is all Shinku ever needed, all she ever wanted, and all she ever will want and need.

_I can be happy…with just this…because I've spent all my life searching, trying to reach Father…but it's like trying to stretch up and touch the stars…and now I see, what I was really searching, what I really wanted…is here beside me…has always been…will always be…I don't need that faraway star, because…I already have the sun, right here, whose warmth reaches me always…_

"Ummm…" Jun peeks over his shoulder at her, catching her eye.

"What?"

…_A warmth that light ups the world with a brightness that burns a million times stronger than all the stars in the sky together…_

"Eh, nothing,' he says quickly, a blush creeping across his cheeks as he turns away. Shinku smiles as she can feel it right through his shirt.

"Honestly…"

…_A warmth that grows with each passing day, until my world is drenched in light, my heart bathed in sunshine and my life complete with your love._

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**Thanks for reading! Reviews are greatly appreciated :D**


	7. Reflection

**Ok, here's number seven...hope it's not too cheesy romantic for you...^.^**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rozen Maiden or any of it's characters.**

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_**Reflection**_

It is unusually quiet today in the house. Shinku and Jun are the only ones upstairs; he is, as usual, by his computer, whilst she sits on his bed reading and sipping tea. The room is silent, but it is a companionable, comfortable silence that gently envelopes the two of them.

He's been staring at her for some time now.

He isn't exactly sure why, and perhaps, it is a little embarrassing for him to admit, but for some reason, he does enjoy just sitting there and watching her very much. It is hard to describe, and difficult for him to express in words; but somehow, it calms him just to watch her. There is no need for speaking or moving or conversation of any sort, just looking at Shinku is enough.

And now he wonders to himself, when he sits like this, watching the doll turn another page in her book, what exactly does he see?

It is certainly funny how often, when it comes to Shinku, there are many things about the way he feels about her that he can't string coherently together into words. And yet, today, it springs into his mind immediately.

When Jun asks himself what he sees when he looks at Shinku, the answer is clear and simple.

He sees his whole world.

Reflected in her golden blonde locks, he sees his golden sun. In long tresses that cascade silkily down and brush softly against his cheek, he feels the light and warmth of the sunshine touch him, gently caressing his skin. Like the sunlight that nurtures all things, she gives life to him.

In her blue eyes of subtle sapphire hues, he sees his never-ending blue skies. They carry in them the twinkle of a thousand stars and the silver dancing glow of moonlight in the heavens. He can lose himself so easily in her gaze; he can forget about the dark and angry clouds that gather in storms outside if he only looks into the expanse of clear sapphire sky captured in her eyes.

Her voice is almost always soft and calm, like sweet music to his ears, it is the only song his heart ever desires to hear. Like the wind that dances among the quietly rustling forest trees, her voice dances among the trembling flutters of his heart, sweeps lightly along the branches of his soul; a breeze that breathes fresh, new life into his wearied limbs.

She is the hustle and bustle of his day, the gentle dreams that come to him in his slumber at night; she is the endless, warm days of summer, the colourfully stained leaves frolicking in the autumn wind, the delicate snowflakes dancing in a pure white winter landscape, the baby green shoots and shy flower buds of spring. Like precious water, he needs her to survive. To his eyes, she is like the first radiant dawn of an eternal night, breaking over the horizon.

She is every thought, every idea, every dream, every desire and every wish he has ever had. She is his reason, his purpose and his world.

If Jun truly believes in something with his whole heart, then it is this: that Shinku's existence alone justifies everything and anything in this life of his.

Few can comprehend what Jun feels at the moment, sitting there with his eyes upon the one thing he loves more than life itself.

_As long as I have her, as long as she's with me…there isn't anything anyone can do to me anymore…_

And yet, he realises he is afraid; more so than ever in his life, because never has he felt such a strong need for something or someone. When you don't need anything else in the world at all, the more precious something is, the greater fear there is of losing it. It is almost insane, the way he feels incredibly insecure and completely at peace with her by his side.

_I wonder...would she...does she see what I see?_

Across the room, Shinku looks up suddenly, perhaps sensing the intensity of his stare, her hand midway through turning a page in her book.

"What is it, Jun?"

He feels his heart suddenly skip a beat in his chest, his breath catching itself in his throat, as the realisation dawn on him, and he wants to cry and laugh with joy and relief.

_There is no need for anyone else but you. _

Because there is no doubt that when she looks at him like that, Jun sees himself, and himself alone, reflected in her eyes.

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**And now I humbly request your reviews! XD**


	8. Alice

**Well...this took me a while to get right so I got a bit stressed...O.o'**

**Hope you like it anyways. :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rozen Maiden or any of its characters.**

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_**Alice**_

The Alice Game. Seven dolls, all fighting to gain one another's Rosa Mysticae in order to become the perfect girl, condemning the others to become broken and lifeless; mere remnants of something that once lived and moved and talked, fragments of what once were individuals with thoughts and emotions, feelings and dreams. Dolls that were once treasured, who loved and were loved back, become nothing but scattered shards of porcelain and fabric, until in the end, only the faint memories of a previous life linger.

Alice.

_Who is Alice?_

_A girl of supreme beauty and perfection; more sublime than any flower, purer than any gem, and without a touch of impurity. The perfect girl…_

Shinku said that once, Jun remembers, her eyes sparkling with desire, a longing nurtured and cultivated over centuries of fighting with her sisters for the title of Alice, and a determination to obtain the dream upon which, she believes her entire existence is based.

_Why do you want to become Alice?_

_To make Father happy, of course. In order to gain his love._

_If you can't be accepted for you are…can something like that be called love?_

_It is the destiny that befalls we of the Rozen Maiden._

Jun has never believed in the Alice Game, not once, not even for a single moment. He doesn't believe something like Alice is worth obtaining if it means the sacrifice of one's own sisters. But he does believe in Shinku. He believes she will do what is right. That is why he will stay by her side until the bitter end.

_Please, stop this fighting. You don't have to do this. __It was a mistake from the beginning..._

_Let's go home, Shinku. _

He knows himself, she has been fighting for a very long time, wholeheartedly, all this time, for years, decades, centuries, because she believed in Alice, and she believed it was something worth fighting for. She believed it was something worth living for. Even if it was only a distant dream, something she couldn't see, feel or touch, she fought hard for it because she believed in it.

_Why do you fight?_

_I think it is worth it…because to fight is to live._

And Jun will never blame her for that. Even though he is against the Alice Game, even though he hates it, he will never condemn her for partaking in it, because she was doing what was important to her. He only hopes now, that she has found something else worth fighting for.

_What do you fight for now? Who do you live for now?_

_I will fight...because to fight is to live…to live is to love…_

_Is it Rozen? Is it Alice?_

_No. It's you._

Perhaps, after centuries of fighting for something without ever really understanding what it is, Shinku has found someone else to live for. Someone, with whom she can always be certain, will accept her without doubt, without prerequisite, unconditionally. Somebody she can love and who can love her back regardless of what she is or isn't.

_Alice is a girl of supreme beauty and perfection; more sublime than any flower, purer than any gem, and without a touch of impurity._

_Supreme beauty…_

In the first instant he set eyes upon her, at the very second he lifted the lid of the ornate case, he knew from that moment that she was, and still is, the most beautiful person he had ever seen in his life. Like a shining rainbow after the stormy tumult of his life before he met her, like the first glimpse of a sunrise breaking through the dark night of his lonely and tormented existence, still, even now, she never fails to take his breath away.

…_and perfection…_

Every part of her, from her silky blonde locks, to the cool blue of her eyes, the way she speaks, they way she moves and delicately sips her tea, everything that defines her, everything that makes Shinku what she is, to Jun, is a perfection in itself. He would not have her any other way, he would not want to alter any part of her, because then she would not be Shinku, but something, or someone else.

And maybe, this is the selfish side of love. He doesn't want Alice. He wants Shinku. And becoming Alice is a risk he doesn't want her to take. It is a sacrifice he doesn't want her to make, even if she is willing to herself.

_To sacrifice her in order for Alice to be born…_

_I don't want you to be Alice, even if it makes Rozen unhappy, even if it breaks his heart. __Because I'm selfish and I don't want you to break mine. _

_I want you to stay with me._

He doesn't want her to become Alice because he knows with his heart that there are better things for her to be. Such as herself. If Jun were ever to describe Shinku in words, he would probably first say immediately that she is cold, firm and strict.

And kind, caring, gentle and compassionate.

_You don't need to become Alice…_

_Because you already are. _

She is the kind of person who would rather break Father's absolute rule than see her younger sister robbed of life. The kind of person a lonely little doll runs to when she is being bullied by her terrifying red-and-green-eyed sister. The kind of person the grief-stricken, devastated Gardener turns to when she has lost her most beloved twin.

_Don't change who you are for Rozen…_

_Be who you are for me._

She is the one who helped a lost boy find his way back in a world clouded with doubt and fear and uncertainty. She is the one who chased away the shadows in his heart with her light and first let the warm sunshine break through the darkness in his bleak and cold dreams.

_You may not see it for yourself, but what you always desired…_

_It has been within you all along._

She is the one who taught him how to live life and the one who gives him a reason to love it.

_You don't have to fight anymore._

_That's not true. __I have to fight on. I have to live on._

_Not for Alice. Not for Father._

_But for you._

"Shinku?" Jun's voice breaks the silence between them.

"Yes?"

He hesitates, and she notices the pained expression he wears.

"Please…don't…anymore…"

And even thought he never manages to fully get the words out, even though he can't say it aloud, somehow she understands him.

"I won't." She smiles at him then, as if to tell him it's all right.

"That's good," Jun says, returning her smile. "Because you don't need to."

_You're not Rozen's Alice. Y__ou're Shinku. _

_You're beautiful. You're perfect. _

_You're my Alice._

_***_

**_"You come to love not by finding the perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly."_**

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_- Sam Keen_

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**Disclaimer 2: The quote is by Sam Keen, an American philosopher, author and professor.**

**Thanks for reading! XD**


	9. Cat  Part 1

**Hello everyone! Ok, I know I owe you all an apology for disappearing off the face of the earth for several months, but I was caught up with my half-yearly exams, schoolwork and a bunch of important assignments, so yeah...SORRY! And you have permission to slap me. ^.^" But I'll be updating more regularly from now on, hopefully.**

**Anyways it feels good to be writing again, I really appreciate your reviews and constructive criticism! I decided to split this story into two parts, and I uploaded both, since they're related.**

**Enjoy! Hopefully...**

**Disclaimer:I do not own Rozen Maiden or any of its characters.**

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_**Cat**_

**__****Part 1**

He wonders if there has ever been a more stressful episode of Kunkun. It is funny though, Jun thinks to himself, how the tension arises not from the television show itself, but from the addition of a rather unusual guest.

A cat.

More precisely, a very small, but very fat, very fluffy, black and white cat.

Shinku hates cats.

Deeming them 'barbaric', 'dangerous' creatures, she still bears a personal grudge against the feline species from when one of her former mediums owned a cat that almost swallowed her wind-up key; an experience so traumatic to her, Jun knows it is one of the few things that make her so emotional she can't even think about, let alone speak of. Thus, for even the slightest possibility of such an incident repeating itself now is too devastating and disastrous for her to even contemplate the possibility of.

And so, he concludes, her behaviour right now is completely justifiable. At least, that is what he is trying to madly convince himself to believe – the reason why she is, at the moment, pressed up extremely close against his side, trying to edge as far away as possible from the ball of fur plopped on the couch.

"J-Jun! Get it away! How do you expect me to be able to watch Kunkun in peace like this?"

"It's just a cat, Shinku," he mutters, trying to focus on the television.

"Why did you let it into the house in the first place?"

"It's a stray. It doesn't have a home. And besides, Nori and Hina were bugging me to let them keep it."

"That is unforgivable, Jun, did you not know how I feel about these…creatures?"

As if right on cue, the cat purrs loudly and tries to snuggle up against Shinku, who lets out an uncharacteristic shriek and practically jumps several metres off her seat.

"Er…I think it's taken a liking to you."

_SMACK!_

Infuriated, her golden curls fly through the air and land a neat slap on his cheek.

"Servant! You're supposed to protect me from harm! What will you do if it swallows my key?"

Despite the fact that Shinku is probably now as hysterical as she is would ever be capable of being, Jun decides the best thing to do right now is probably just to let her find her own way to calm down.

He wonders how he managed to survive an entire day with Shinku in this stressful, anxious mood, snapping at everyone and everything, and in general being so terrifying in her own fear that the other dolls had done their best to avoid her all day. Ever since Shinku discovered the cat lying sprawled out on the living room floor after breakfast in the morning. Even right now, at this very moment, Jun knows Hina is hiding somewhere underneath his bed upstairs, trying to evade her sister's wrath.

_Honestly, to think a cat could have this sort of effect on her…_

The kitten meows loudly suddenly, and suddenly cuddles up against Shinku's side. She gives a short shriek and leaps onto Jun's lap, her face buried in his chest, fists clenched as they grip his sleeves like they are her lifeline. But he finds it aches slightly inside, somehow, as he notices the way she clings to him like a frightened child, how her entire body is trembling as he folds his arms hesitantly around her.

"H-hey! Are you okay?"

Her reply is laced with a sarcasm so unlike her usual self that Jun knows she is _really_ upset this time.

"Do I _look_ okay?"

Alarmed, Jun realises that this is no joke. Shinku is honestly, truly, genuinely terrified of cats, and whilst her behaviour might be seen as an over-reaction by others, she herself is not exaggerating her fear towards this little feline creature now curled up in a ball at Jun's feet.

"Shinku?"

She doesn't reply immediately, but then he hears her mumble in a quiet and low voice, slightly muffled against his chest,

"Jun, I won't forgive you if that…_thing_…eats my key."

"It won't –"

"I don't like cats," she interrupts in a quiet voice he rarely hears her use. "If my key had been swallowed that day, I would have eventually fallen asleep – and I would never have woken again."

_To be trapped in an eternal slumber, in that cold and dark and lonely place…to never be able to walk, talk or move again…watching the memories of a lost life replay over and over again forever…_

"And…" Shinku pauses as she moves back from his chest and looks down, her golden hair falling over her eyes, looking uncharacteristically weak.

"Hmm?" Jun stares down at the doll, wondering why she doesn't continue.

"And…that means…without the key…you wouldn't have been able to wind me…you would never have been able to wake me up…I would never have been able…to meet you…"

…_To be able to see the light of the day, to feel the warmth of sunlight…there are things I never want to lose, things I don't want to give up, so that's why…you promised to protect…_

"I-idiot." Jun's voice wavers slightly. Shinku gasps as she is suddenly pulled into a firm embrace, his arms tightening around her.

"Do you think I'm that irresponsible to let a cat eat your key? There's no way something like that could happen. I'm your medium, after all."

She thinks it must be the silliest thing in the world, how her fears dissipate as she sits on his lap, held in his embrace, the warmth of his body against her cheek. But she remains motionless and closes her eyes, cherishing this rare feeling.

And then her dainty hand comes up and lands a slap square in the middle of his cheek.

"OW! What - ?"

"For calling me an idiot. A servant should not insult their master."

"You evil – I was trying to make you feel better, you awful – " Jun stops suddenly when Shinku leans against his chest, her face turned into his chest so he couldn't quite see her soft expression, nor the lightest of smiles on her lips.

"Don't you dare let go of me, servant."


	10. Cat  Part 2

**Part two of Shinku's encounter with a certain cat! Sorry if she's been a little OOC in these last two chapters, but I tried to keep her in line, since she does seem to act funny when it comes to cats. **

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**_Cat_**

**_Part 2_**

"GET IT OUT!"

Shinku brandishes her cane furiously at the cat as if trying to somehow wave it away, whilst the kitten lies curled up in a small ball, snoozing lightly.

In her suitcase.

_In._

_My._

_Suitcase. _

"JUN! Do something about this barbaric creature!"

"His name is Unyuu." Shocked, Shinku spins around to glare at Hina, who is already sitting in her own case, getting ready for bed.

"You…gave it a _name_?" Hina cringes away from her sister's furious gaze.

"Unyuu, but Unyuu is a good cat, nano! So Hina thought it should have a nice name, nano. Because it's soft and fluffy, just like Unyuu, unyuu!"

"DON'T JUST RANDOMLY GIVE IT A NAME!" Shinku shrieks. "And besides, now it just makes your verbal tic all the worse."

"Unyuu, verbal tic? What verbal tic, nano?"

"Hina, you are driving me insane with your nano's and unyuu's, particularly _that_ Unyuu!" Shinku shoots a death glare at the cat sleeping on undisturbed in her precious suitcase.

"No, I won't acknowledge it. This is absolutely unforgivable."

"Well, Shinku, at least your key's safe; I put it on the top shelf, so there's no way Unyuu can reach it."

"Jun! Don't accept its name like that! More importantly, move it out of my case!"

"Yes, yes…" Sighing, and with Shinku's glare burning into his back, Jun moves towards the bundle of fur, but just as he reached out to touch it, the little black and white kitten suddenly opens its eyes, arches its back and hisses threateningly, its fur standing on end.

"WHOA!" Jun jumps back, alarmed, whilst Shinku utters something like a frightened squeak and waves her cane defensively.

"Oh no, Unyuu, _bad kitty_!" Hina puts her hands on her hips and tries to looks angry at her new pet.

"Jun!"

"There is no _way_ I am touching that cat again. It looks like it's fixed on sleeping in your case tonight."

"And pray tell, where am _I_ to sleep tonight?"

"The couch is free – OW!" Shinku's blonde locks never miss their mark.

"I will _not_ be degraded to such a level. Honestly, for a servant to tell his master to sleep on the couch…"

"The floor's also fi – OUCH!

"Any more stupid suggestion from you and I will ensure _you_ are the one sleeping on the floor tonight. In fact, that isn't such a bad idea."

"Well," Jun finds himself blushing for some reason at the idea. "I suppose you could sleep with me just for toni – " _SMACK! _

"I thought I told you to stop making inappropriate comments."

"Well, since you don't want to sleep on the couch or on the floor, and Nori's already asleep, so it's not good to disturb her, there's no other choice!" Shinku arches one of her perfect brows, as if the solution is obvious.

"No, no way in hell am I moving out of my own bed, you dolls have already practically taken over most of my room already – "

"It is perfectly reasonable, Jun, what belongs to the servant naturally belongs to the master."

"I'm. Not. Moving." Stubbornly setting his face, Jun climbs into bed and lifts up his sheets. "Well, what are you going to do?"

Blushing furiously, Shinku shoots one last, terrifying death glare at the cat sleeping comfortably in _her_ case and at Hina, who quickly squeaks "Goodnight!" and pulls her lid shut. Feeling himself grow bright scarlet, Jun shifts a little to the side as Shinku climbs up onto his bed. Her cheeks too, have warmed into the colour of her name – a shade of brilliant red. She lays herself down rather awkwardly next to him, but as his bed is of such a limited size, she has to move right up against his body in order to fit.

"This is entirely that cat's fault. Such a barbaric creature has caused so much trouble today." Shinku's eyes narrow until they are deadly slits of blue.

"You had better not roll over and crush me in your sleep, servant!" And then she turns so that her back is to him. Jun stares at the back of her silky blonde locks for a moment, before suddenly wrapping his arms around her little frame on impulse, amazed at how easily she fits in his arms, regardless of how much smaller than a human she is.

"Jun – "

"So I don't roll onto you. It's safer this way, since I won't move over you if my arms are full like this," he explains hastily, his face now burning like the sun. Surprisingly, she nods and makes a sound of agreement. Although he can't see it, Shinku's face too, has grown several shades of deeper red. She can feel his blush right through her clothes.

"G-goodnight, then."

_Don't know if I'll be able to sleep like this, though. Well, I suppose that's what you get when you mix up a stray cat with the crazy Rozen dolls._

Jun smiles unconsciously at the back of Shinku's head, suddenly sleepy. For some reason, although neither of them would ever dare to admit it, it is actually rather soothing to be so close like this. He can't help but think that although he would never even consider bringing another cat into the house whilst Shinku is in it, maybe, just maybe; at least _something_ good had come of the little fat feline's visit.

_That cat brought so much trouble, and yet…_

And he manages to just catch the words Shinku murmurs quietly to him before sleep descends upon him.

"I will definitely have you punished for this, Jun. _Definitely_."

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**Thanks for reading! And now go press that review button! :)**


	11. Cat: Bonus Chapter

**Haha yes, this is a bonus chapter, dedicated to all my reviewers! Hope you enjoy some more kitty love~!**

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_**Cat - Bonus Chapter :)**_

CRASH!

Jun blinks blearily, his eyes opening a crack. Through the haze of half-sleep, he can feel Shinku's soft curls tickling his nose. A sudden shrill voice pierces through the air.

"I have arrived early today, desu –"

"Suiseiseki! Jun told us not to come in through his window anym – "

Souseiseki breaks off when she realises what Suiseiseki is gaping at.

"…"

"…"

"YOU PERVERTED CHIBI HUMAN DESU! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY SISTER THERE?" Suiseiseki bellows, whipping her watering can out.

"O-oi! This is a misunderstanding!" Jun shoots out from underneath his sheets.

"PERVERT! CHIBI! DON'T TELL ME YOU WERE DOING SOMETHING FUNNY WITH SHINKU LAST NIGHT DESU!" With each word, Suiseiseki brings her can down with deadly force on the top of Jun's head.

"Th-that's wrong! OW! You evil doll, you came in through the window again, didn't you - "

"PER-VERT CHI-BI CHI-BI DESU!"

"S-Suiseiseki, calm down. I'm sure Jun wasn't doing anything like that…" but even Souseiseki looks mildly scandalised.

"HOW DARE YOU COMMIT SUCH HEINOUS ACTS ON MY SISTER, YOU MAN-SLUT DESU!"

"WILL YOU STOP HITTING ME WITH THAT THING?" Jun tries to move away from the raging Suiseiseki, only to lose his balance and land in a rather compromising position on all fours on top of Shinku. The disturbance awakens the blonde doll, whose eyelids flutter open to the sight of Jun crouched over her. Outside, Kanaria, lying belly-down on the roof of the neighbouring house, peers through her binoculars at precisely the wrong moment and falls off the roof in shock.

"Ehh? Wh-what are Shinku and her medium doing, k-kashira?"

"Jun. What are you doing?" Without even bothering to wait for an explanation, Shinku's curls hurtle through the air in a blur and land their infamous whip so hard on his cheek that he is sent flying through the air off the bed.

"P-PERVERT! PERVERT, PERVERT, PERVERT! H-HOW DARE YOU VIOLATE MY SISTER!" Suiseiseki attacks him with fresh gusto, whacking him multiple times with her watering can.

"To think that a medium would do that…to a doll…" Souseiseki murmurs, looking disturbed, to say the least.

"STOP! This is all a misunderstanding, I swear – S-Shinku, what are you doing?" He senses a sudden dramatic drop in the room temperature as the blonde doll approaches him, cane in hand, her eyes hidden behind her fringe.

"It seems…that I may have to punish you far more than I originally intended…Jun," she says slowly, in an icy tone he's never heard her use before (and which he desperately hopes he'll never have the misfortune to hear again).

Souseiseki sighs, as her sisters proceed to exact punishment on the unfortunate Jun.

"I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of _that_," she murmurs, noting that she has never seen Shinku this terrifying before, or Suiseiseki quite so jealous.

"Huh?" Turning, she notices for the first time, the black and white cat sitting in Shinku's case.

And despite the fact Souseiseki thinks she must be letting her imagination get the better of her, she swears that the cat just winked at her.

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**Hawhawhaw...evil kitteh comands you to review :)**


	12. Distance

**Hello~! I'm thinking of wrapping up this little collection of fics after another chapter or so, but I'll definitely be starting on some other work. **

**Thanks to all my reviewers, as always! I love you guys the most~! 3**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rozen Maiden or any of its characters.**

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_**Distance**_

It is amazing how much a small tree can grow, if you only give it a little water and sunlight.

I was prepared to stand back and watch from a distance. Watch your tiny, sickly seedling flourish into a grand and magnificent tree, watch its roots deepen, and bright green leaves blossom and adorn its branches.

I was prepared for that distance.

Because you are a human and I am a doll.

You, who will grow and mature and change, will move forward and never look back.

But I, a doll, will never age, never grow old. I, who cannot move forwards nor backwards, who remains the same, unchanging; I will be left behind. I can only watch as you continue on your own journey, because I will always stay in the same place.

How painful.

But somehow, this pain is good. It reminds me that I am alive. That I have feelings. That I am not an emotionless _thing_. It brings me closer to you – a human. I can catch up to you now, because you were the one who showed it to me: my heart.

Not a Rosa Mystica, but a heart. Shinku's heart. Completely and entirely my own.

Change is necessary. All things change in good time, even me. But since I have lived for so much longer than you, my years have turned into decades, those decades into centuries.

Centuries of living without ever truly being alive. That was my existence, before I met you.

And then every day meant something. Every minute became a moment. Every moment that will become a memory. Memories that are mine and no one else's; memories that I made myself, that were not given to me by Father. Memories are the only things I possess that are truly my own. These are the memories that give me life: emotions, feelings, thoughts and ideas. These are the memories that shape what is my 'self' – the defining factor that distinguishes my heart from my Rosa Mystica. Good memories are precious to me, because in my dreams I watch every moment of my life played back to me.

I want those to be good dreams.

That's why I will try with everything I have, to reach you. A doll that wishes to be human. For something that is untouchable, I am willing to give everything for it. Even if you are so far away, in that distant place that I can't see, I will find my way to you.

If you call me, I will answer. If you offer your hand, I will take it. So close and so far at the same time, was I destined to be stuck like this, caught up between being a human and being a doll?

Through the tears that prove my feelings, through the pain that reminds me that I love you…

I'll reach it someday, the distant place; so far away, and yet as close as your breathing.

**"…_because distance is pure proof of this, and forever we will love if we survive."_**

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**Thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated~! Btw does anyone know when the next chapter of the manga comes out?**


	13. Sick

**Hi~ The next chapter will be the last for this collection. I'll be starting on some new work after that. Hope you enjoy this one! I wrote this after I realised even though drinking tea is a pretty prominent part of Shinku's character we've never actually seen her making tea herself. EVER. So I wondered why and kind of came up with this...It's a pretty long chapter so sit tight :)**

**Hope you guys like it~! And thanks to all those who've been reviewing! :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Rozen Maiden or any of its characters.**

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**_Sick_**

_BLECHOO!_

Shinku pushes a box of tissues across the table with her cane, a distasteful look on her face. She, Hinaichigo and Jun are seated around the table at breakfast, whilst Nori bustles away in the kitchen.

"Honestly, Jun, blow your nose, please."

He does so, rather loudly and violently, earning a stern glare from his doll.

"How absolutely disgusting. What an inelegant and graceless servant you are."

"I can't help it – I think I'm sick," Jun croaks. Indeed, he does look very poorly this morning; he has dark bags under his eyes, which are red and watery, much like his nose.

"Your voice sounds like someone has run your vocal chords over a cheese grater, Jun." Shinku stares at him impassively as he breaks into a coughing fit and slumps over the table miserably.

"Don't do that, you'll infect everyone."

"Dolls don't get sick," grumbles Jun.

"What you should do when you're sick, Jun-kun, is lie in bed, nano!" Hina offers helpfully.

"That's right, Jun, why don't you go to bed for the rest of the day and get some sleep. I'll bring your breakfast up to you when it's done," Nori says, coming out of the kitchen. She lays a hand on his forehead.

"Oh my, Jun-kun, it looks like you have a burning fever! Don't worry, Onee-chan will help you get better."

"Aren't you going to school today?"

"Ah no! Maybe I can take a day off – "

"It's all right Nori! Hina will make sure Jun gets better!" The little doll declares, standing up on her chair and waving her spoon around.

"Ehh…it's fine, Nori, I'll just go to bed and sleep it off," Jun mumbles, standing up. His head aches, he feels dizzy, his throat is scratchy and he can't breathe too well through his nose. He trudges up the stairs and wraps himself up tightly in his blankets, trying to get some sleep. About ten minutes later, Hina comes running into the room, holding a box in her hands. She pokes Jun's hot and feverish cheek.

"Nhhnnn…what is it?" He grumbles, before snapping his eyes open suddenly as Hina shoves something rather forcefully under his nose.

"Unyuu! Jun will definitely feel better after eating some of Hina's unyuu!"

"Urgh, no thanks, I think I'll just get some rest."

"No, Jun has to eat this unyuu to feel better, nano!"

"Hina, I just want some sleep…"

"Eat this unyuu!"

"HINAICHIGO!"

"KWAHHHH, JUN'S SCARYYYYY!"

"Hina, I'll eat the unyuu later, but right now you're giving me a headache, so would you please just let me get some sleep?" Jun snaps, his patience running short. Honestly, he does feel bad about yelling at Hina, but whilst he normally doesn't mind Hina's loud, shrill voice, his fever and throbbing head can't take the noise level today.

"What is this disturbance?" Shinku enters the room, graceful as always. "Hinaichigo, stay quiet for the rest of the day; go downstairs and draw pictures to keep yourself occupied, at least."

Jun sighs in relief as Hinaichigo runs out of the room babbling excitedly to herself as quietly as is possible for her lively, childish character. Shinku, at least, generally has a milder, mellower and _softer_ voice than her sister. His train of thought is interrupted suddenly as he breaks out in a rather violent coughing fit. Slumping exhaustedly on his pillow, he groans and half-closes his eyes.

"J-Jun?" Unfortunately, he's too sick to notice the rare tone of concern in her voice.

"Ernngh…" Mumbling feverishly, Jun rolls over in his bed, only to turn back again when he feels a slight pressure at his side. Shinku has pulled out a large tome and has seated herself beside him on the bed.

"I hope I am not disrupting you?"

In his half-dazed state, Jun grunts in reply.

Shinku raises her hand slightly, and he mentally berates himself for not trying to make a conscious effort to speak as he prepares to be punished for not answering her properly. He is surprised beyond words, then, when she gently lays her hand on his burning forehead and rests it there for a few moments. To his fevered skin, her hand feels cool and soothing.

"Making unrefined noises like that is no way to reply to your master," she reprimands him, but her voice, like her touch, is gentle – almost tender.

"Sorry…be in bed all day…can't make tea…" Jun manages to mumble hoarsely, closing his eyes.

"Hm." Shinku keeps her hand on his forehead and quietly watches over him until the slowed rise and fall of his chest indicates that the sickened boy has fallen asleep, before opening her book again, and continuing her reading. It is already noon by the time Shinku closes her book and turns her attention to Jun again. Pushing a few stray strands of dark hair out of his face, she notes to herself his flushed cheeks, reddish nose and darkened bags under his eyes.

"I see. So, there is really nothing else to do." Silently, the blonde doll slips off his bed and walks downstairs to the kitchen.

"Uhh…Shinku, what are you doing, nano?" Hinaichigo whispers, looking up curiously from the drawings she has made.

"Making tea," is the brisk reply. Eyes widening, Hina jumps up and races over to her sister.

"Unyuu…_you're_ making tea?" she gasps.

"Yes, is there a problem with that? It is almost lunch, anyway." Shinku pays no heed to the little doll as she places the tea leaves delicately in a pot.

Hinaichigo watches the crimson doll in a kind of silent awe as she works. That Shinku is a veteran tea connoisseur is known too well among the sisters. And yet, despite all of them being acquainted for so long; centuries, in fact, none of them have ever seen the famously tea-loving fifth doll actually make tea herself. Once, when Souseiseki asked why Shinku refused to brew her own tea, the proud doll merely flicked her hair and replied curtly,

"Do you think I would make tea for just anyone?"

One would wonder whether Shinku's tea brewing skills were as masterful as her sense of taste.

Thus, to Hinaichigo, Shinku suddenly making her own tea is something quite miraculous; something she never thought she would ever see.

"A-am I allowed to have some, nano?" the sixth maiden asks hopefully. Shinku shoots her a stern look.

"Of course not! I do not make tea for just anyone."

"Hummph!" Hina pouts. "Then you're going to drink it all up, nano?" Once again, Shinku gives Hina one of those 'looks' that seem to say, 'do you really expect me to answer such useless and unnecessary questions?'

"Honestly, Hinaichigo, how selfish do you think I am? This is for Jun. Now, stop distracting me, or I won't be able to concentrate."

Speechless, Hina watches as Shinku goes about preparing the tea. It is like a spellbinding ritual, the way Shinku handles the leaves and pours the water with the practised ease and ready confidence of a seasoned expert. Brewing tea seems to be as easy and natural to her as breathing is to humans. Finally, the teapot and a pair of cups is loaded onto a tray, which Shinku then carries elegantly upstairs, without even allowing the liquid to swish around inside the pot.

"Nehhh?" Jun blinks his eyes open blearily as Shinku approaches his bedside. She kneels next to the bed and lays the tray down on the floor. Jun sits up and watches curiously as she gracefully pours out two cups and hands him one.

"Eh?"

And then it hits him.

The scent that wafts up to his nose…the extraordinary smell of this tea…it is as if he is breathing in the very essence of the leaves itself. He can't even begin to imagine what it will taste like.

He takes a sip...

And gasps as his senses are assailed by a variety of sensations. The tea is hot, yet it leaves a very cool, very refreshing, almost uplifting sensation. He honestly believes for a minute that he can almost taste the crisp, clean, fresh mountain air in which those tea leaves must have been grown. He feels his burning throat instantly soothed as the liquid slips down. It is sweet and light, yet he can barely detect the tiniest hints of a subtle, mysterious, dusky undertone

_It's like…_

_Like a sunset in the wilderness…_

_This…_

_Almost feels like a miracle._

For once, Jun wonders, is he experiencing what Shinku tastes when she drinks his tea?

_To think that something this incredible is possible… _

Because he gets it. Without really knowing how, he can somehow feel, as he takes another sip, the effort that Shinku put into making it. He can taste the care with which she prepared the leaves, the patience, compassion and kindness…he can experience these emotions, because somehow, the feelings that Shinku poured into brewing this tea for him are able to reach him.

She is able to touch his heart, just by making him tea.

_This tea._

_It tastes like…_

He struggles to find a word that can capture those feelings.

_Love._

It is amazing, mind-bogglingly amazing, the level of skill that has made this tea. With this, Jun marvels, Shinku really is a true tea connoisseur.

No, more than that, she is a master.

"Well? How is it?" Shinku's gentle voice snaps him out of his reverie. He stares at the doll for a few moments in silence.

"Shinku…this tea…is…" he struggles to find words to describe how he feels.

"Hmm?"

"It's…magical."

"Magical?"

"It…it feels like…like a blessing."

"A blessing? What a strange way to describe just a small cup of tea…" Shinku gives Jun a small, inexplicable smile and raises her own cup to her lips.

_It is a blessing, for me to be able to enjoy the tea that Shinku made for me…_

He only just realises he has unconsciously drained his cup empty.

"Can I–"

CRASH!

The sharp sound of shattering glass grinds against his hearing. He pulls the covers over him to shield himself from the shards of his broken window as Shinku deftly steps back and turns slightly out of harm's way. Moments later, the two cases that have just smashed through Jun's bedroom window burst open to reveal their residents; none other than the Gardener Twins.

"Suiseiseki has decided to grace your house with her presence, desu! Bow down and be grateful that I'm visiting desu~"

"S-Suiseiseki! Why did we come in the window again?" says Souseiseki anxiously, climbing out of her case.

"Y-You damn evil doll…" Jun growls, emerging from under his covers. "Learn to read the atmosphere!"

"Oh-hoh-hoh~! Were you engaged in an intimate moment with Shinku, desu? Hah! It looks like the chibi human is sick today, desu! What a wonderful opportunity, desu…"

"Opportunity?" Jun yells furiously. "An opportunity for what, exactly?"

"Hee, hee…" The said doll grins wickedly, skilfully avoiding the question. "Ohhh, what is that you've got there?"

"Unyuu, Shinku made tea for Jun!" Hina comes running in to see what all the commotion is about.

Silence.

And then,

"EEEHHH?"

"Are you serious? _Shinku_ made tea for _Jun_? Not the other way around?"

Suiseiseki, Souseiseki and Hina start to crowd around a harassed looking Shinku.

"H-honestly, is it that much of a fuss?"

"Huhhh…what exactly did you do that would make _Shinku_ brew tea for _you_, desu?" Suiseiseki presses, giving Jun a sly glance out of the corner of her eye.

"I-it doesn't have anything to do with that! It is a widely known fact that tea is good for people suffering from colds! I…simply thought it would be troublesome to have such a sick servant around so I wanted to help him recover sooner!" Shinku snaps, blushing bright red. And with that, she turns and leaves the room in a huff. Laughing loudly, Suiseiseki and Hinaichigo pursue her, perhaps taking this rare opportunity to tease their sister.

"Why is it such a big deal?"

"Huh?" Souseiseki turns to a confused looking Jun.

"Why is it so shocking that Shinku made tea for me?"

Souseiseki stares at him thoughtfully for a moment before chuckling.

"Maybe it is silly, yes. Though, on second thoughts, I shouldn't be that surprised if it's you. After all, Shinku cares very deeply about you."

"What?" Jun frowns, not quite understanding.

"You see," explains Souseiseki, pointing towards the empty cup in Jun's hands, "Shinku doesn't make tea for anyone. Even though we, her sisters, have known her for so long, we've never seen her make tea herself. That's why it's remarkable; because Shinku doesn't make tea for anyone else…no one else, but _you_, Jun."

The medium is silent for a few moments as he thinks this over.

"Now the question is…why _you_? What is it about you that is different? Why, of all people, does she do it for _you_?" challenges Souseiseki.

_No one else…_

Perhaps, because in the tea she makes, she fills it with everything: her feelings, her heart – all of it. And she will only share that with someone who is incredibly important, incredibly special to her: the one person she absolutely believes in, the one person she entrusts herself entirely to. To Shinku, making someone tea is like giving them her heart.

_Only me._

Mixed in with every single drop of tea she gives to Jun is her everything.

_If it's like this…_

He knows now, that by being the single person Shinku will willingly brew tea for, she has wordlessly given him all of herself; everything she has, everything she is.

That is why.

_Maybe I should get sick more often._

Shinku will make tea for no one else but Jun.

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**The review button calls for you... :)**


	14. Eternity

**Hello! So, we're finally here - the last chapter! **

**I'm sorry this chapter took so long to upload, I was going to upload it sooner but I had a severe confidence lapse and just spent a week or so reading and re-reading and editing obsessively because I was so scared this chapter was going to be a fail...yeah, so this chapter might not be the best ever but I made it longer than usual to make it up for the long time I took to upload it. I'm still a bit nervous, so please feel free to tell me how I've done, the feedback and constructive criticism is greatly appreciated. :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rozen Maiden or any of its characters. Nope, I'm still mourning over the absence of a third season. ;_;**

**Otherwise, hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

_**Eternity**_

"JUUUUUNNNN!"

Nori bursts in through the bedroom door, breathless and red-faced with panic.

"HEEEEEELP MEEEE!"

Without bothering to turn from his computer, Jun snaps rather impatiently at his absent-minded sister.

"What is it?"

"I'm the narrator for the school play, and I need you to help me practice my lines!"

"No."

"JUN!"

Eyes widened pleadingly, Nori grabs the back of his chair and continues to beg him, until Shinku, sitting on Jun's bed, snaps her book shut and intervenes.

"Jun, a gentleman is always happy to oblige when a lady is in need of their assistance."

"I'm busy! Go find someone else."

"There's no one but _you_!"

"I will not allow a servant of mine to show such unsightly conduct."

With both Nori and Shinku's combined input, Jun finally gives in.

"_FINE_! Even though there's absolutely no reason why you need me!" Jun still remembers all too well, as his cheeks warm at the recollection, of the last time he'd helped his sister practice for the Snow White play, and how _that _turned out.

_A-as if I would k-k-kiss __her__…_

"Anyway, what play are you doing this time?" With that last rehearsal still in mind, he hopes it is something more along the lines of an action or thriller – anything that has minimal kissing-slash-romance (and therefore minimal embarrassment for him) is all right.

"It's Romeo and Juliet. A slightly different version with less dying and more romance!"

And right there and then, his hopes are dashed and his dreams of a humiliation-free day come crashing through the ground.

"NO."

"You promised, Jun!"

"I did nothing of the sort!"

But it seems Jun's luck has really run out today, when a _certain_ watering-can wielding doll peeks her head from behind the door, eyes flashing with mischief.

"Ohhhh, could it be that the chibi chibi human is so unmanly he can't even take a wimpy little romance play desu? My, I never knew the chibi was _this_ weak, desu…hohohohoh…" Suiseiseki's sinister laugh trickles into Jun's hearing, and he turns to glare at the doll hiding behind his bedroom door.

"What the hell are you saying, you evil doll?" he yells, incensed and pointing his finger challengingly at Suiseiseki. "I'll take you on anytime!"

And so, this is how Jun finds himself cast as Romeo for the rest of the day. Because of a single moment of anger that overrides his ability to make a rash decision, he meets downfall. Cursing at how he has condemned himself to a day of complete and utter misery and mortification, he wonders how his day can get worse.

"Since we don't have enough people to fill all the characters we'll have to cut out some and just do a simplified version of the play. We have a Romeo," Nori says, pointing at Jun, "but who'll be Juliet?"

"Ah, that will be Shinku, of course." Jun glares suspiciously at Souseiseki, cheeks rocketing to roughly the temperature (and colour) of a fired up oven, but Souseiseki merely shrugs and smiles innocently. "It's only natural, isn't it, because Jun is Shinku's medium?"

"H-hey!" Suiseiseki interjects indignantly, as Nori and Hinaichigo instantly agree without hesitation. "He's my medium too, desu!"

"Yes…but…we need your talents for…_other_ important parts." Jun swears he can detect a hint of a smirk in Souseiseki's voice. "Here, you can be Juliet's father."

"F-father?" Suiseiseki shrieks indignantly. "I'm not a man, desu!"

Ignoring the angry doll's protests, Nori, Hina and Souseiseki allocate the other parts and prepare to begin the rehearsal, whilst Shinku stands to one side with detached indifference and Jun grumbles irritably to himself.

"Ha! I'll blow you all away with my magnificent performance! Prepare yourselves, desu!"

"Once upon a time…" Jun tunes out, not really listening to Nori's narration. He looks idly out the window, searching for some form of entertainment to distract him from this awful torture.

"NO, desu! I absolutely forbid you to be with Romeo! Everyone knows the Capulets hate the Montagues, desu!" Suiseiseki bellows formidably, pointing an accusatory finger at Jun. Shinku blinks.

"Why are you wearing a fake moustache, Suiseiseki?"

"B-b-because I got stuck with a male role, that's why! I am the splendorous, incredible head of the Capulet family – Juliet's father, desu!"

"Well, I do not really want to do this at all, but I suppose I have no choice," Shinku sighs.

"Juliet begged her father to let her marry Romeo, even though her father had betrothed her to another."

"Let me marry Romeo please, Father." Shinku's voice is as blank and impassive as a slab of rock, her face completely deadpan. Suiseiseki, on the other hand, even more riled now that she's heard Shinku call her 'father', starts on an impressive and terrifying rant.

"Oh, don't cry Juliet! You can meet Romeo in secret with the friar at the church!" Hinaichigo pipes up, playing Juliet's nurse. Hina takes Shinku's hand and leads her to where Souseiseki is standing, solemn and grave.

"Do not fear, Lady Juliet, for here you may speak to Romeo and declare your love for each other away from prying eyes," says 'Friar' Souseiseki.

"Thank you," Shinku responds rather dryly.

"And so, at the lover's secret rendezvous, Romeo declared his undying love for Juliet…" Nori trails off, looking expectantly around.

"Oh Romeo…" Shinku attempts half-heartedly, sounding about as lively as a block of ice.

A deafeningly awkward silence ensues.

"Hem, hem. _Ahem_." Nori nudges Jun with her elbow.

"Huh? What?"

"Oh, come on, Jun, this is the most romantic part! You're supposed to declare your everlasting love for Juliet and swear to be together for eternity!"

"H-Hell _NO_!" he splutters, turning a luminous scarlet.

"Ha! I knew you didn't have the guts, desu!"

"Just give it a try, Jun."

"Unyuu, just try!"

Kneeling in front of Shinku so that he is level with her, he stares, mortified, into her face, which is still entirely emotionless.

"Oh Romeo, how you make my heart flutter so," she says stonily. He takes a moment to wonder how she manages to keep a straight face whilst stuck with such awful, cheesy lines.

"Ah…my, er…dearest Juliet…I…um…" Jun stumbles on his words, mumbling as he struggles to maintain eye contact with Shinku. Her expression changes slightly, from one of coolly disinterested boredom into something like a mix of slight curiosity and much amusement. He takes a breath, preparing to 'declare his undying love', as Nori put it but for some reason, as he stares into the doll's clear blue eyes, his lips refuse to move the way he wants them to. Instead, he stutters, unable to string together a cohesive sentence.

_Why – why can't I…_

"I…I l-l-lo…I lo-lov…uhm…" Shinku looks as if she finds this quite entertaining, watching her servant acting so bashful.

"My, I didn't know Romeo was so shy," she says, and much to Jun's chagrin, he can hear Suiseiseki laughing nastily behind him.

"Heehee, I knew he never had it in him, desu…"

"Shut up, you evil doll!" and then, turning back to Shinku, "Ah…I l-l…I lo-lo…you…I…"

_Why can't I say it to her face? What's wrong with me?_

"Huh?" Hina frowns. "That's not right, nano! Say it properly, Jun! Look at Juliet and tell her you love her _properly_!"

"I…" Jun grits his teeth in frustration.

_Why is it so hard for me to say just three simple words? It's not like they mean anything…it's not like I'm actually confessing to her for real, it's just a stupid play…just stupid acting…_

_So why…_

The others are getting impatient – Suiseiseki yawns loudly and looks pointedly at her wrist, checking an imaginary watch, whilst Souseiseki finally succumbs to the growing stiffness in her legs and sits down. Hina begins to fidget and complain of hunger and Nori shifts uncomfortably in her seat, wondering why on earth Jun can't just spit it out. Shinku stares expectantly at him, saying nothing, her expression still lightly amused, but her eyes are intense, her gaze betrays her with its sharpness.

"I…I…" he fumbles angrily with his own mouth, helpless, confused, frustrated and absolutely furious with himself for being so weak.

"Um…well…Jun, I think we might have to stop it there, I need to go make lunch." Nori gets up and hurries over to the kitchen, and Hinaichigo follows her, whining loudly about her empty stomach.

"Humph. Honestly, we can't just stand around all day waiting for you to just say 'I love you', it's not such a big deal, desu! What a useless chibi chibi human desu!" Suiseiseki teases, smirking contemptuously at the bright red, humiliated medium. "Come on, Souseiseki, or the chibi Ichigo will steal all my food…" the twins walk off, leaving Jun alone with Shinku.

She doesn't speak, nor does she move, not even an inch. Not a single twitch. She just stands there as if she has been rooted to the ground. He stares back, barely able to meet her eyes, his face feels hot and awkward and incredibly uncomfortable. The frustration, the helplessness and the humiliation of it all seems to press down on him like an invisible weight on his shoulders.

_How useless…how pathetic…I can't even…_

"I…" he tries again. Futile.

"I'll do it." Shinku interrupts him unexpectedly. Her expression has not changed, her gaze has not wavered.

"I-I'm…what?"

"I'll do it," she says again, and then her face softens until she wears that gentle expression he sees only too rarely. "I'll wait."

"Wait?"

"Yes. If it's you, then I'll do that. Until you can say it, I will wait for you." Her eyes are penetrating, as they always are, and sincere, but above all, they are honest. Wholly and purely honest. Strangely reassured, yet unable to find pick an appropriate reply to this sudden and unforeseen statement from her, Jun opens and closes his mouth several times before he is able to say anything at all.

"Why?" he says finally, looking for clarification – he doesn't think he'll ever be able to fully understand the doll before him. She is an enigma; every time he believes he is able to comprehend her intentions, she throws him off track time and again with unpredictable, sudden things like this, hitting him out of the blue.

"Why? I wonder…" Shinku tilts her chin slightly, as if pondering the question herself, fixing her eyes on some point above Jun's head.

"Perhaps because I can. Maybe because I should. Probably because I want to." She pauses, then, and watches him out of the corner of her eye. "But you must promise me."

"Promise?"

"Yes. Promise me that even though right now, you are unable to say it, one day, no matter how far into the future that day is, you will definitely be able to say it."

"Shinku…"

"Promise me, Jun. I don't want to sit around waiting for something that will never happen. That's why…I want you to promise me…that what I am waiting for…that I will definitely reach it, someday. I don't mind how long I have to wait. I can be patient. But I want to at least be able to know that I am not hoping for the impossible."

"I promise." His voice is just that little bit stronger, laced with just that little bit more confidence, and determination. "I swear on the ring."

And he doesn't know why, but with her last words, he feels lighter again, almost happy. A hesitant smile illuminates his face. He may not understand her completely, but he knows that she certainly seems to understand him more than she shows. She may insult him, call him a lazy, noisy and useless servant, but she is also the one person whose words are able to lift him to his feet.

_Isn't it weird how she always knows exactly what to say at exactly the right time?_

"After all, I must fulfil the master's duty. It would be inconvenient to have a depressed servant slouching about all the time."

His head snaps back to look at her, suddenly getting the feeling that somehow, this moment between them is about to be horribly crushed, chewed and regurgitated.

"What…do you mean…?"

Shinku turns to gaze at him, an apathetic expression returning to her face, but her eyes twinkle with something almost like mischief, and the corners of her lips twitch upwards in the faintest of amused smiles.

"You wanted to, but you couldn't. It must be heartbreaking to be unable to fulfil that desire of yours." She tilts her head slightly to hide her growing smile. "As your master I am willing to help you achieve what you wish for but am too weak to obtain for yourself. Honestly, what a pitiful servant. You wanted to, didn't you? You wanted to show your undying loyalty and devotion to your master."

"I…I…" Speechless with embarrassment, Jun starts blabbering again. He can't quite believe it…Shinku…

"A-as if I _wanted_ to! It's not that I _couldn't_ say it – I didn't _want_ to say it!" He snaps, whipping his head around his denial. He glares sulkily out the window.

"Then why are you angry about something so trivial?"

"It's exactly because of that – I can't even do something as _trivial_ as this. I can't even say three simple words, even though it was just pretend..." Jun growls.

"Was it?" Shinku's abrupt question slices through the air and, once again, Jun thinks, hits the heart of the problem with her characteristic unfailing, unflinching precision.

"O-of course,' he mumbles, feeling his cheeks grow a deep shade of crimson again.

"Were you pretending?"

"Y-Yes!" A little more forcefully now, Jun raises his voice. Shinku's lips twitch again.

_Maybe…now…_

"Isn't it enough that you've sworn you will be able to say it, no matter how long I have to wait for?"

"I…no. You deserve more than that." Shinku's eyes arch in surprise as Jun's features settle into a face of steely resolve.

_That's right. Shinku deserves more than this…this…incompetence. I owe her so much…if I can't even do this…_

"Juliet, I'll love you forever! My undying love will last for eternity! I love you!" Jun shouts, but he is glaring daggers at the window. He can't see her at all – she is entirely out of his field of vision.

_Why only this time…_

_Why I can't say it to her face…_

_Why I can't meet her eye…_

_Was I pretending?_

_Am I pretending?_

"I love you too, Romeo," she says quietly, and he turns back to her, surprise turning into embarrassed astonishment when she leans up and pecks him lightly on the cheek. He feels his face burn like a furnace, the place where her delicate rosebud lips came in contact with his skin almost feels numb. His head spins, his heart is beating so fast he thinks he might go into a cardiac arrest, he can't see, hear or breathe properly, and his mind is nothing more than a confused jumble – a tangle of unfathomable emotions, thoughts…

_Oh dear God…_

_She didn't just…_

_I'll faint…can't breathe…_

_I might…_

…_just…_

…_die…_

…_now…_

Shinku's own chest feels awfully tight – she might have no heart to pound wildly in her body, but her Rosa Mystica is burning up in these intense emotions. And she would like to think that the corresponding place in Jun's heart mirrors her own inner turmoil. A most beautiful and exquisite disarray of emotions.

_I'll treasure you._

_Will you treasure me?_

"Good boy, Jun." With that placid phrase, and almost tender tone that always accompanies it, Shinku flicks her hair back and turns her back to him, hiding from him the soft, gentle smile that graces her lips. The fond, affectionate curve of her mouth. A warm, kind light in her eyes. Something he won't see until she knows the time is right to show it. Something he'll have to find. Something she'll have to wait for.

_I'll cherish you._

_Will you cherish me?_

It is a secret smile. A loving smile.

_I'll love you._

_In fact, I already do._

_Do you love me?_

She wonders how long he can, she can – she wonders how long _they_ can keep up this pretence.

What is real and what is not, even she can't tell anymore. But if this is a dream, if it is just an illusion, it is one that is worth having, worth keeping, worth working hard to make into reality.

_I'll do it._

_I'll wait forever if I have to. If it's for you, then I'll definitely do it. I'm willing to wait for eternity if I have to for you to be able to say it to my face. For you to be able to look me in the eye and tell me._

_You promised, didn't you? You swore on the rose ring. _

_That's why…_

_I'll promise too._

_I swear on my Rosa Mystica…_

_I will give you everything. I will entrust everything I have to you. My deepest joys, fears, regrets, happiness, dreams, hopes…I will give it all to you – everything that I am, everything I was, everything I hope to be. That's all I can offer. Nothing more, nothing less. _

_The day we finally find each other. The day we share a world between us; just the two of us. That is what I wait for. _

_What I fight for. _

_What I live for._

_The day we can both look into each other's eyes with no hesitation, no regrets, no doubts, no secrets, with nothing between us to hide, nothing to take, but everything to give…_

…_not as Romeo and Juliet, characters from a child's play…_

…_but as Jun and Shinku… _

…_as if our hearts are speaking directly to each other, we can both say clearly…_

_I love you._

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_****_

**_A big thank you to all my reviewers, especially those who've been reviewing ever since chapter one. _**

Well, I had heaps of fun writing these stories, and reading your reviews just made my day every time, but now I guess i have to draw the curtains on this collection. *bows*

I'll be moving on to other fics now, so you'll definitely be seeing more from me VERY soon; in fact, I already have another story that's going through its final edit still waiting in the wings to be published.

A BIIIGGGG thanks again to all my reviewers, you guys are the ones that keep me going, so without you it wouldn't have been as easy and enjoyable :)

See y'all later, then! XD

Lots of love from a hopeless romantic ^^,  
~cherryblossomroses~

_"Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.  
__Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.  
__And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.  
__But the greatest of these is love."_


End file.
